# Indiana Smoking Ban



## jeepthing (Jul 16, 2009)

Indiana House panel backs statewide smoking ban​ *Mishawaka, IN*
An Indiana House committee advanced a bill that would ban smoking in most public places statewide.
*Posted: *​4:18 PM Jan 20, 2010
*Reporter: *​Brandon Lewis 
*Email Address: *​[email protected]

Once again the debate over smoking in public places is heating up.
The House Public Policy Committee voted 7-5 to advance a bill that would ban smoking in most public places statewide. The bill will now go to the House for a full vote.
Last year a similar bill died in the senate following late session negotiations.
If approved, the bill would not allow smoking in most places, including restaurants, bars and clubs.
"We're here to make a living," said Larry Wolfe, who owns The Blue Lantern in Mishawaka."We employ over 25 people our pay roll is about a quarter million a year of the two places, so we pay a lot of money in taxes, so it'd just be nice to let us run our business as we see fit."
Wolfe's restaurant serves drinks to several smokers each night. He adamantly fought against including bars into St. Joseph County's smoking ban and is working against the statewide ban.
"It's a legal product, nobody's bootlegging them, it's not like selling marijuana and what have you, this is a legal product. So quit selling cigarettes, let's cure the whole thing.," Wolfe said.
Unlike last year's bill, Rep. Charlie Brown (D) decided to exempt casinos from the ban, upsetting some members of the committee.
"Our economy in this state, lest we forget, is in meltdown, we're still cutting state jobs and spending and wondering how we're going to get through all this, and we're giving big breaks to casino, who aren't allowed to loose money and I think that's a crock! It's a special interest group that rules the day again on that bill," said Rep. Jackie Walorski (R), who voted against sending the bill to the House.
The committee heard only an hour listening to public comment before voting. They said they'd heard enough comments over the last two years to make an informed decision.
The Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Agency said so far in Indiana eight counties and 31 cities currently ban smoking.

This on our local news Channel WNDU.
Indiana House panel backs statewide smoking ban


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## unsafegraphics (Dec 18, 2009)

Join the club buddy.

North Carolina had a similar bill go into effect Jan 2nd.

My sympathies go out to you guys...


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## mrsmitty (Jan 22, 2009)

Well Fort Wayne has already had a city wide ban for years, so this won't impact me at all. All the b&ms in town are exempt for the ban thank god.


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## ACMartz (Mar 2, 2010)

i work with several non-smokers, and they are all for the ban, what they do not grasp, is once the tax money made from Cigarettes and Cigars is gone, local and federal governments are going to have to get that money elsewhere and they are going to start taxing things like beer, liquor, and gas.


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## Johnisnotcool (Mar 7, 2010)

I'm in fort wayne as well and this hasn't bothered me much but thats mainly because Pikes pub is right down the road and its just outside the city line so I go down there and smoke. Mr.smitty which bandm do you usely goto? I've been going to riegels downtown and on jefferson recently. I've been in esquire a few times but I'm not a big fan.


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## mrsmitty (Jan 22, 2009)

Johnisnotcool said:


> I'm in fort wayne as well and this hasn't bothered me much but thats mainly because Pikes pub is right down the road and its just outside the city line so I go down there and smoke. Mr.smitty which bandm do you usely goto? I've been going to riegels downtown and on jefferson recently. I've been in esquire a few times but I'm not a big fan.


I usually only go to Riegles in Covington Plaza. Never been to Esquire yet, do you know if they carry pipe tobacco at Esquire?


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## Johnisnotcool (Mar 7, 2010)

I don't think so I don't ever remember seeing any, they honestly didn't even have that many cigars there! Plus they try and get you to join there club everytime and I don't believe they put the taxes on the price tag so you get a nice little surprise when you goto check out(I'm pretty sure riegels has it included).


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